A Day of Firsts
by Dreamsinger
Summary: Poppy is worried when she arrives in Branch's bunker and sees that he has faded again. Branch wonders whether her love is friendship-based, or possibly...something more?


**A Day of Firsts**

 _A Trolls Fanfiction_

 **By Dreamsinger**

"Good morning, Branch!" Branch heard a familiar female voice call down from the lift shaft. "Is it okay if I come down to see you?"

The formerly-gray troll took a quick moment to glance around his underground bunker, making sure there was nothing lying around –like Poppy's scrapbooked invitations- that might embarrass him. "Sure, come on down," he called back up to her.

He watched the lift slowly rise up to the top of the shaft and then come down again, bringing the bright pink troll who had once been both a friend and a nuisance, someone who was now the most important person in his life. During their adventure over the last few days to rescue a group of trolls who had been kidnapped by bergens, whom everyone had believed were monsters, Branch had discovered that Poppy was not only impulsive, she was brave. She was not only friendly, she was compassionate and understanding. She was smart, and she was forgiving. And she took her responsibility to keep the other trolls safe more seriously than he had ever suspected.

If not for her, he would never have learned how to be happy again, and he loved her for it.

"Hi, Poppy," he began as she came into sight, feet first. As she met his gaze, the smile dropped off her face and she jumped off the lift before it was completely settled, moving quickly toward him.

"Branch, what's wrong? Do you feel sick? Do you feel sad?" she said hurriedly, taking his face in her hands and tilting it this way and that, her usually cheerful expression turned anxious.

"No," he said through lips squashed into weird shapes as he submitted to her manhandling. She released him and he gave her a look of puzzlement. "I feel fine."

"But you're faded again!"

"What?" Alarmed, he went to check himself in a small mirror on the wall. As he turned his face from side to side, he said thoughtfully, "Well, I'm not as bright as I was yesterday, but I haven't completely faded. Not back to the way I was before."

"How do you feel?" He turned to look at her and noted her worried expression and the anxious way she was wringing her hands together. Wanting to reassure her, he gave her a small smile. "I'm okay. Really." He watched his reflection yawn. "A little sleepy, maybe."

"Are you sure? What are you feeling right now?"

His gaze turned inward as he assessed his current emotional state. "I feel…content. Hopeful, even. Better than I have in a long time, in fact. Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

"Really?"

He turned back to her. "I'll admit I'm not riding high like I was yesterday, and I'll probably never be as deliriously happy as some trolls can get, but that's fine by me. You can take anything too far, even happiness."

Her shoulders relaxed, but she still looked pensive. "I just don't want you to forget what it feels like to be happy. Oh, I know! Do something that makes you happy, Branch. Let's sing something. _There's always another rainbow/ search until you find-"_

"Poppy." He snapped a hand up to stop her incipient song. "Please. Not before I've had my morning coffee."

"Oh, but-"

"Wait." He held up his forefinger as an idea hit him. "Poppy, I've got it." He turned his hand until he was pointing at the pretty troll princess. "Smile for me."

For a moment she looked surprised. Then her face softened into an affectionate smile. He felt his own mouth wanting to do the same, and didn't fight it. His ready response encouraged her and she beamed at him. His face relaxed into a grin.

She bounced on her toes. "That's it, Branch! Your colors are coming back!"

As he looked at her, he felt the urge to do something he'd stopped wanting long ago and held his arms open invitingly toward her. In a moment, Poppy was hugging him enthusiastically. "Oh, Branch, I'm sooo happy for you!"

As they hugged uninterrupted for the first time, he rested his cheek against hers and commented, "You know, group hugs are all right, but sometimes I like things a little more… one-to-one."

"Sure, Branch," Poppy said softly, her voice a little husky. "For you, especially, Hug Time is all the time."

The former loner troll felt a surge of warmth pass through him, and squeezed her a bit more tightly. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if she was saying she loved him, really loved him the way he loved her, but he was still too much of an introvert to just come right out and ask her as any other troll would have.

Instead he cleared his throat and released her, covering up the depth of his feelings as he often had in the past, with his talent for a quick comeback. "So, did you need something? Or did you just come over to admire my pretty colors?" He held out a hand, pretending to admire the light aqua-blue color that had returned as if it had never been gone.

"Both, actually." Surprised, he glanced up to see her looking at him with a small smile. Her smile widened a little as she tilted her head slightly, looking him up and down as her eyes slowly grew half-lidded. Branch swallowed, his eyes wide. No one had ever looked at him in quite that way before. His breath caught as he stared back at her. Then, overwhelmed, he flicked his eyes to the side, then back to her face, smiled a little nervously and looked down. "Thanks. Um, Poppy…" He knew she was waiting, but for once in his life, he was tongue-tied.

"Branch?" He looked up to see a kind of puzzled disappointment in her eyes. "I came to ask you something. Well, a couple of things, actually, but…" She let out a huff of air, seeming nervous. "Sorry if it makes you feel weird, but while you were singing to me yesterday, you…kinda said you loved me?" A sudden heat rushed to his face, and he knew he was blushing. Suddenly sensing that the coming conversation was not going to be an easy one, Branch was fervently glad that it was taking place here in the privacy of his bunker.

When he didn't speak, the pink princess gave him an awkward grin showing too many teeth and began to babble and gesture with her hands as she did when she was feeling uncomfortable. "Do you have a crush on me? I'm sorry, but you're not exactly the easiest person to read, you know? But earlier, you kept looking at me when you were reciting poetry and smiling and you sang such a wonderful song and I think I'm in love with you and-"

A jolt of gladness passed through him as she confirmed his greatest hope with her usual rapid-fire speech. "Poppy," he interrupted, mostly to give himself a moment to process it all. He took a deep breath and stepped toward her to put his hands on her shoulders and look her in the eye. "I love you, too." Slowly he smiled, feeling his face relax as he let go of her shoulders to take her hands in his. "It's not easy for me to say it, but I do. I think I have for a long time."

She studied his face for a moment, her big eyes soft and questioning, then gave him a beautiful, loving smile as she said in a relieved tone, "Oh. That's good, then." Then she frowned, letting go of his hands. "Wait, how long are we talking about?"

"I'm really not sure," he admitted. "You've always been kind of important to me. I mean, you're the princess –oh, excuse me- the queen, now." He took a step back and gave her a courtly bow, tilting his head to grin up at her. "And you've always gone out of your way to try to make me feel included in things. Thanks for that, by the way."

"And here I thought I was just annoying you all this time." Her tone was oddly wistful. As glad as she was to see his new appreciation for the lighter things in life, Poppy wasn't quite sure how to act around this new Branch - someone familiar and yet so different from the sometimes-helpful-sometimes-hostile loner she had grown up with. He was several years older than she and had always seemed to consider the trolls' frequent celebrations to be a colossal waste of time, as well as –correctly, it turned out- a magnet for bergens.

"Sometimes, maybe," Branch said honestly, and then he shrugged. "But it's your nature to be bright and happy and caring, and I wouldn't change you for anything."

"Aww, Branch, that's so sweet." She felt the impulse to hug him again, but as she began to step toward him he nodded as if he had just made a decision, took her hand and led her toward one of the walls near his desk. "Come here; let me show you something."

He let her hand go and pulled aside a curtain covering a small nook, revealing a set of handmade invitations; her own scrapbooked invitations to dozens of events. She gasped. "You kept them?" She reached out a hand to touch them, then noticed one in particular. "Even this one?" It was the last one she had given him; the one that he had not only refused, he had thrown it down and ground it under his foot, shocking everyone. "You must have gone back to get it after you- But you were so angry!" She threw her hands out to the sides to emphasize her confusion.

"Yeah, about that." He gave the back of his neck a rub. "I'm really sorry. I know I've never really said so, but I've always appreciated how much thought you put into your invitations. I admire the skill it takes to create them, even if they do spray-" he looked a little disgusted for a moment, "-glitter everywhere. And I appreciate how you often make special, personalized ones just for me."

"Oh, Branch." Suddenly she saw him, sitting alone in the dimly-lit bunker clinging to the only reminders that the real world existed; a world full of friends and music and fun that he hadn't felt safe enough to share, and it broke her heart. "You must have been so lonely down here."

He looked uncomfortable, as if he was seeing himself through her eyes. "No. Not really. Well, sometimes, maybe. But I also appreciate the peace and quiet - it's a rare commodity in this village."

"True," she agreed. "I'm just glad you're willing to step beyond your comfort zone. It's okay to sing. It's okay to relax." She held up an admonishing finger. "It is _not_ okay to burn any more of my musical instruments, though, you got it?" She gave him a quick smile to show him she wasn't mad at him for that little incident. After all, it had been at least half her fault. She had deliberately provoked him after he had asked her, however rudely, to be quiet so they could get some much-needed sleep.

"Got it." He grimaced. "Sorry." He recalled how he'd tricked her into giving up the ukulele just so he could throw it into the campfire and shut her up. It had worked, too. It made him ashamed to realize that she might even have been a little afraid of him after that, ashamed enough to add, "I shouldn't have done that. I feel really bad about it. It – it won't happen again."

"Thanks. I'm sorry, too." Branch blinked in surprise. She seemed to understand his confusion, because she continued, "It was my fault, too. It wasn't very nice of me to keep bugging you after you asked me to stop."

"Thank you," he said, and felt better.

" _There_ it is," she said suddenly. "You have such a nice smile, Branch. You should use it more often."

He hadn't even noticed he was smiling. "I guess I'm out of the habit." The former recluse winked playfully at her. "You should keep coming around, Poppy. I'm sure it's a habit I'll pick up from you."

He had never invited anyone to visit his bunker before. Poppy's eyes widened at this display of good humor. "Oh, you _are_ a charmer when you want to be, aren't you?" she said, smiling at him in the same way that had so disconcerted him earlier.

This time, however, he knew exactly how he wanted to respond. "Now _that_ is a cue for a song if I ever heard one."

And despite his lack of coffee, the solitary troll, who was solitary no longer, let his voice and his feet follow his heart as he displayed his own true colors to his lady love. For the first time in his life, he wanted to impress someone, to make her look only at him, to give him a chance despite their less-than-happy past.

" _Open up your eyes/take a look at me/if the picture fits/in your memory…"_

As she followed his every dance move with shining eyes, Branch felt lighter than a rainbow, freer than the wind, smart and strong and swift. And when it was over, and he stood before her on his desk (when had he leaped up there?) panting and sweating a little, it was so worth it as Poppy burst into ecstatic applause. "Woo-hoo! Yeah! Way to rock that tune! Go, Branch, go!"

As he jumped down, she rushed over to him and threw her arms around him, exactly as he hoped she would, but she didn't stop there. As yet another event in a day of firsts, Branch found himself the recipient of a slightly off-center but very enthusiastic kiss from his bright young queen. It almost knocked him over, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her for balance as she eased up a little. By the time he realized what she was doing, she had pulled away with a loud smacking of lips.

He didn't let her go. As he met her eyes, she blinked and ducked her head a little, smiling shyly. Somehow this sweet gesture melted away his own nervousness, and he placed a gentle hand under her chin, lifting her face so he could look into her eyes. There was nothing of regret in her gaze, only hopeful love, as if she was the one who was afraid of being rejected. Well, fair enough, considering that until a few days ago, that was all she'd ever known from him.

Slowly, Branch smiled, his eyes going half-lidded as he let his hand slide up to cup her cheek. He wanted her to know how he felt, that he adored her and would always be there for her. Slowly, tenderly, he kissed her, feeling her melt under his touch. Then he felt her hands on him, pulling him close to her, straining and shivering a little as she pressed her lips harder to his.

When he finally drew back, they were both breathing heavily. He met her eyes for a long moment; then she pressed her head against his chest, holding him close for a while longer. As he gently stroked her back, Branch wondered if she could hear the pounding of his heart; at long last freed from its cage.

He didn't know how long they embraced, but eventually his energetic Poppy began to stir, and he released her. He marveled how empty his arms felt, how quick it was to get used to the feeling of holding someone close to him.

"Branch?" she asked softly. "I was just wondering…"

"Yes?" he answered in a voice a mere breath above a whisper, his gaze soft and warm.

"I was hoping to ask you to do something for me. With me, I mean."

"Yes," he repeated, feeling devotion to her as he had to none other. At that moment she could have asked him to fly and he probably could have succeeded. "What is it?" He suspected he knew; but then, Poppy had a talent for surprising him.

He was right. What she wanted was nothing like what he'd had in mind. "I wanted to ask you to be the official Ambassador of Friendship to the bergens."

"What?" It took him a long moment to pull his mind away from romance and focus on what she was saying. "Ambassador? Me?"

"Yes. You're smart and brave and caring. You've got personal connections to both Bridget and Gristle. You take responsibility seriously." He couldn't help but feel pleased at her admiration. Then she gave him a wry look. "Besides, you've been worried about the bergens your entire life. With them no longer a threat, what else are you going to do?"

His face sank into a familiar frown, but he knew she was right. She took one look at his sour expression and laughed. "Sorry, Branch. But you know, if I made someone else ambassador, you'd insist on coming along so you could keep an eye on things anyway."

His frown turned thoughtful, and he crossed his arms. "…True." She knew him better than he'd realized. In fact, she was a lot more astute than he gave her credit for. "You know, I was wrong, before," he said in quiet apology, and gave her a look of sincere respect. "You're going to make a great queen."

She blushed with pleasure, looking down modestly. "Thank you."

He tucked one elbow in the palm of his other hand and lifted his free hand up to touch his chin. "Now that I think about it, it might not be a bad idea. We don't know nearly as much about the bergens as I thought. And if we continue to have contact with them, there's bound to be conflicts that need smoothing over. We don't want to give them a different reason for eating trolls, like, say, to keep them quiet." He quirked an eyebrow at her, waiting for her reaction.

"That's great, Branch - hey!" She gave him an indignant look.

He chuckled. "Just checking to see if your grasp of sarcasm still needs work."

She gave him a wide-eyed look. "Branch!"

"What? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said breathlessly. "You laughed, Branch. You did. That the first time I've ever heard you laugh in my entire life."

"Huh. I guess I did." He'd barely noticed. Maybe he really was getting used to this whole "being happy" thing.

She beamed at him and came over to gently take his face in her hands. "So that's what your laugh sounds like. I hope I get to hear it a lot from now on."

His face softened into an affectionate smile. "With you around, Poppy, I have no doubt." As she leaned in to kiss him again, their hands clasped together like a promise.

…

A/N: I base Branch's personality not only on the movie, but also on the Troll To Troll bonus clips and the Holiday special. I feel that Branch was not always as isolated as he seemed to be at the beginning of the original movie, and that he must have participated in normal events at least once in a while as he was growing up. We know he has good social skills, when he bothers to use them. He knows how to be polite, supportive and sympathetic, based on how he treats Poppy and responds to her needs.

Branch's biggest emotional problems seem to revolve around anxiety, which always gets worse if you try to deal with it by withdrawing from the things you fear. In the bus-wormhole scene in the Holiday special, watch how Branch takes his cue from the other trolls after it happens, and joins in the current song even though he is still not sure if there is anything to be afraid of. His face reminds me of a little kid, checking the faces of the adults around him to see if he should be scared. (It's SO CUTE!) I suspect if it had happened to him alone, he would have panicked and obsessed about it for hours, but because he is now part of a social group, he is learning to roll with things much better. I'm so happy for him. ^_^

The song Poppy began to sing is from the original My Little Pony movie, sung by the ponies' human friend Megan after her friends get splattered by smooze, a purple goo that hardens into a shell and causes feelings of grumpiness and hopelessness. There are lots of video clips of it online – and Megan's voice sounds close enough to Poppy's that I can really hear her singing it!

The song Branch sings to impress Poppy is "Stand Out" from the first Goof Troop movie. I highly recommend watching this movie if you haven't seen it. The father/son love is just as relatable as the love between two sisters in Frozen, and most of the songs are fantastic. In fact, I would seriously love to hear Justin Timberlake's version of "Stand Out" as sung by Branch!


End file.
